Candra Malik, Yogyakarta – Thousands of residents marched down the main Jalan Malioboro thoroughfare on Saturday to demand that the House of Representatives ensure the governor and deputy governor positions go to the heads of the province's royal families.

The Universal Movement of Yogyakartans (Gentaraja) staged the rally to call on the House to pass legislation this month that would automatically appoint Sultan Hamengkubuwono X as governor and Adipati Paku Alam as his deputy, without having to be elected.

"Don't delay anymore," said Sunyoto, the chair of Gentaraja. "We firmly object to the direct election of the governor and deputy governor. We want Sultan Hamengkubuwono and Adipati Paku Alam to be automatically appointed governor and deputy governor."

The rally coincided with the commemoration of the declaration on Sept. 5, 1945, by Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX and Paku Alam VIII which integrated the kingdom of Yogyakarta and its vassal state, Paku Alaman, into the newly formed Republic of Indonesia.

Sunyoto said the demands were outlined in a statement titled "Yogyakarta Protests," which had already been submitted to lawmakers to encourage passage of the bill before they ended their term in office.

Golkar Party lawmaker Ferry Mursidan Baldan, a member of House Commission II for home affairs, said the government should not forget the past service of the sultan and his subjects during the war for independence. Yogyakarta served as the young republic's capital when the Dutch reoccupied Jakarta during the late 1940s.

Permanently affixing the office of governor and deputy governor to the Hamengkubuwono and Paku Alam royal lines, Ferry said, was part of that respect.

"We should have the wisdom to see the Sept. 5, 1945, declaration was not as a mere political statement. It was a declaration of sincerity and generosity on the part of Yogyakartans to unite with the Republic of Indonesia," he said, adding that the House would do well not to turn down the demand.

While Hamengkubuwono IX was declared governor for life, that privilege was revised for his heir after he died by the central government, which at that time insisted on elections.

Professor Sofyan Effendi, former president of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, said that there were two major factions deliberating the bill. One is in favor of the automatic appointment of the heads of the royal families to the head of the provincial government, while the other supports a Pararadya Council, which gives the monarchs the right to approve candidates running in gubernatorial elections.

The bill defines the Pararadya Council as a special body with a higher authority than the governor. The council has the right to dictate general policy guidelines to the provincial government in matters pertaining to culture, land tenure and spatial planning. The sultan and adipati will head the council, which is at the same level as cabinet ministers and has its own prerogatives and privileges. The offices of governor and deputy governor would then be appointed by direct elections.

"The bill has offended the people of Yogyakarta," Sofyan said. "Therefore we object to it and support the establishment of the regency."

Some of the protesters wore surjan, the traditional Javanese batik clothing for men, complete with blangkon, a traditional cap from the region. Banners were also raised with provocative messages such as: "Pass the bill or give us a referendum" and "My sultan, my governor." Giant portraits of the late Hamengkubuwono IX and Paku Alam VIII were also carried throughout the rally.

Traffic on Jalan Malioboro was brought to a complete halt as protesters picketed local government buildings.

"Today, most segments of Yogyakarta society have come to support their beloved Sultan Hamengkubuwono," said Sukiman, a member of Gentaraja. "For us, the sultan is indispensable, be it Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, X or their successors."

Hamengkubuwono X, who was elected provincial governor by the provincial legislative council in 1998, was not present at the protest, but had been quoted as saying that he did not need to meet with the government to settle the long drawn-out deliberation process of the bill.

Also participating in the peaceful rally were members of the House working committee on the bill for the special status of Yogyakarta, including Chairwoman Ida Fauziah, Ferry Mursidan Baldan, Jamaluddin Karim, Tumbu Saraswati, Edi Mihati, Zul Hadi Chaniago, Romzi Nihan and Zaifuddin Juhri.